Contact device.



PATENT'BD SEPT. 24, 1907. 0. J. HARTER. CONTACT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DBO.3,1906- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

CONTACT nEvIoE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application filed December 3, 1906. Serial No. 346,098.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE J. HARTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ilion, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Contact Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in contact devices for taking electric currents from overhead wires.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of contact devices by means of which electric currents may be taken from a trolley wire or other overhead cable at intervals, and conducted to a car to operate an indicator or other devices therein, means being provided to adjustably support the contact device from the brace 0r guy wires of the conducting cable.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinaiter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a car, showing the arrangement of the contact devices; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail end view of the contact shoe and the arrangement of the hangers by which the same is supported from the guy wire and connected with a trolley wire.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a contact lever 1, which is pivotally-mounted upon a clamp 2 by means of which the same is attached to the trolley pole 3 of a car. The clamp 2 is insulated from the trolley pole and is provided with a stop pin 4, by means of which the movement of the contact lever is limited. The lower end of the contact lever 1 projects below its pivotal connection with the clamp 2, and to said projecting end of the lever is connected one end of a coil spring 5, the opposite end of which is adjustably connected to a bracket arm 6 secured to the clamp 2 by means of a bolt or other suitable fastening device. By means of the spring 5 connected to the contact lever as described, said lever will be yieldingly held in position on the trolley pole to engage the contact devices hereinafter described. The upper end of the contact lever is provided with a rearwardlyprojecting contact head 7 having a curved upper surface to engage the contact devices hereinafter described. To the lower end or projection of the contact lever is connected the upper end of the conducting wire or cable 8, through which the electric current is conducted fi'om the contact lever to the devices to be operated in the car.

Arranged on the trolley wire a at such points where it is desired to take an electric current therefrom, is a contact shoe 9, said shoe being supported upon the guy wires b of the trolley wire by means of an adjustable supporting bar or hanger. This hanger or supporting bar consists of two plates or bars having formed therein a series of apertures 12, which are adapted to be brought into alinement and through which are inserted clamping bolts 13. By means of the bolts 13 said plates or bars are adjustably connected together, thus providing for the lengthening or shortening of the hanger to permit the engagement thereof with any guy wire. The shoe 9 is connected to the trolley wire hanger by means of upwardly-projecting curved brace bars 14, the upper ends of which are provided with yoke-shaped clamps 15 adapted to be engaged with the trolley wire hanger or bracket, as shown. The clamps 15 are provided with set screws 16, by means of which the same are held in engagement with the trolley hanger. The brace bars or rods 14 also serve as conductors, by which the electricity from the trolley wire is carried to the shoe 9. The hanger of said shoe is insulated from its supporting guy wire b and is securely connected to the guy wire by a clamping screw 17.

The contact shoe 9 is provided with upwardly inclined ends 18, which facilitate the engagement of the head 7 when the contact lever reaches said shoe. The lower side or contact surface of the shoe is slightly curved in cross section, as shown at 19, to closely fit the upper surface of the head 7 of the contact lever. The contact shoes 9 are arranged at the approach of a street crossing or station or at any other desired points along' the trolley wires, so that as the car approaches these points and the contact lever thereon comes into engagement with the shoe an electric current will be taken from the trolley wire through the shoe and the parts connecting the same to the trolley wire and conducted through the contact lever and the cable or wire 8 to an indicator or any other device arranged within the car to be operated by such currents.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details or construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a pivotally mounted contact lever adapted to be carried by a car, a spring to elevate the same, means to hold said lever in position against the tension of said spring, a contact shoe, an adjustable hanger connected to said shoe, means to connect the upper end of said hanger to a guy Wire, conducting brace bars connected with said shoe, and means to connect the opposite ends of said brace rods to the hanger of said trolley Wire, whereby an electric current is conducted therefrom to said contact shoe, substantially as described.

2, A contact device of the character described comprisinga clamp adapted to be engaged with and insulated from the trolley pole, an adjustable spring connected to the lower end of said contact lever to yieldingly support the same in an operative position, a stop pin on said clamp to limit the movement of said contact lever, a contact head on the upper end of said lever, a contact shoe adapted to be engaged by said head, a vertically adjustable hanger connected to the upper end of said contact shoe, means on the upper end of said hanger to engage the guy wire of a trolley Wire or cable, an insulating material arranged between said hanger and guy wire and conducting brace rods connected at one end to said contact shoe and engaged at their opposite ends With the hanger or bracket of the trolley Wire, substantially as described.

3. A contact device comprising a contact shoe, an adjustable' hanger connected to said shoe, said hanger comprising a pair of apertured plates, clamping bolts to adjustably secure said plates together through said apertures, a hook arranged on the upper end of said hanger to engage a guy wire or other support, a set screw arranged in said hook, an insulating material arranged within the latter to insulate the same from said guy Wire, conducting, brace rods connected at one end to said contact shoe, U- shaped clips arranged on the outer ends of said rods to engage a trolley wire hanger, set screws in said clips to hold the same in place, and a contact lever adapted to be connected to a car to engage said contact shoe, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CLARENCE J. HARTER.

Witnesses:

ERNEST I. HARTER, MONTRAVILLE E. PLATTS. 

